Curtain-stretcher.



L. FRIDLUND. I

CURTAIN STRBTGHBR. APPLICATION FILED Arima, 1913.

Patented. Apr. 7, 191i .2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WVM/164; MW

L. FRIDLUND.

CURTAIN STRBTOHER. APPLICATION HLBD'APB-16. 1913.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

`2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LEWIS FRID'LUND, OF WILIJMAR, MINNESOTA.

CURTAIN-STRETCI-IER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1913.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

Serial No. 761,519.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Lnwis FRIDLUND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Willmar, in the county of Kandiyohi and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain- Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an adjustable frame for stretching curtains and various other analogous articles and, to this end, it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved frame shown in a horizontal position, some parts being broken away and some of the exposed parts shown in section; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same supported in a horizontal position, some parts being broken away; Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in transverse section, taken on the line m3 m3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail view in transverse section, taken on the line x4 m4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail view in transverse section, taken on the line m5 m5 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation, showing one end of the right hand winding roller, as shown in Fig. 2, some parts being broken away and some of the exposed parts being shown in section.

The frame of the improved device, as shown, comprises a pair of parallel side bars 1 and a pair of longitudinally adjustable end bars 2 in rectangular arrangement. Each end bar 2 is made up of two sections rigidly secured, at their outer ends, to the side bars 1 and having their inner ends overlapped and adjustably secured together by thumb-nut equipped clamping bolts 3, adapted to be passed through alined perforation formed therein.

A transversely extended ground engaging foot bar l is detachably secured, at its intermediate portion, by a notched joint, to one end of each side bar l. Thumb-nut equipped bolts 5 hold the foot bars L interlocked with the side bars 1. As best shown in Fig. 2, each foot bar l is transversely divided, adjacent to one side of the side bar 1 to which it is secured, and a hinge 6 connects the two sections of the foot bar in a manner to permit the short section thereof to be folded outward, into fiatengagement with the long section thereof. The foot bars 4t serve to support the improved frame when in an upright position or to support one end thereof when in a horizontal position. Then the frame is in a horizontal position, the short sections of the foot bars may be turned into inoperative positions, to be out of the way, and they may be left folded when the frame is in an upright position, to permit said frame to be placed close against the wall.` I-Iead plates 7 are detachably secured, by clamping bolts S, to the ends of the side bars 1, opposite from the foot bars 4l. A pair of oppositely extended rack bars 9 are pivotally secured, at their inner ends, to the head plates 7, by nut equipped bolts 10. Each rack bar 9 comprises a pair of sections pivotally connected at 11 and having formed, in their free ends, notches 12, adapted to embrace either one of two sets of clamping bolts 13, anchored to the side vbars 1. Obviously, by moving the notched ends of the rack bars 9 into engagement with either set of clamping bolts 13, the angularity of the rack bars 9 may be changed and, -by securing the head plates 7 to the adjacent set of clamping screws 13, the height of the rack bars 9 may be changed. Notches 14C are formed in the outer edge of each section of the rack bars 9 and serve to receive and hold clothes lines, not shown, which may be laced back and forth between the opposite pairs of rack bars, when the frame is in an upright position. As shown in Fig. 2, the rack bars 9 serve as support-- ing legs for o-ne end of the frame.

A pair of parallel fabric supporting winding rollers 15 and 16 are mounted on the frame for adjustments toward and from one another. A pair of U-shaped bearing boxes 17 and 18 are mounted on the side bars 1 for sliding movement toward and from the roller 16. These bearing boxes 17 and 18 are provided with laterally projecting flanges 19. The roller 15 is provided with trunnicns 20 and 21 journaled, respectively, in seats 22 and 23 formed in the flanges 19.

The seat 22 is in the form of a perforationv through which the trunnion 2O is inserted by endwise movement, and the seat 23 is in the form of a notch, adapted to (receive the trunnio-n 21 by lateral movement. The trunnion 21 is held against removal from its seat 23 by means of a short retaining bar 24 normally extending across the entrance passage of said seat. One end of this'bar 24 is pivotally secured at 25 to the flange 19 of the bearing 18, and the other end thereof is provided with a laterally projecting pin 26, ext-ending into a seat 27, formed in said flange. The pin 26 may be removed from the seat 27 by springing the retaining bar 24 laterally. Thumb-nut equipped clamping bolts 28 are provided for locking the bearing boxes 17 and 18 against removal from the side bars 1 and for locking the same in different longitudinal adjustments thereon. One end of each of these bolts 28 is pivotally secured to one of the side flanges of the bearing boxes 17 and 18 by a hinge pin 29, and the other or nut-equipped end of said bolts has interlocking enga-gement with the notch 30, formed in the other side flange of saidbearing boxes. To the outer end of the trunnion 21 is keyed or otherwise secured a hand crank 31, for rotating the roller 15 in either direction, at will.

The trunnions 32 and 33 of the roller 16 may be journaled in either one of two sets of laterally spaced open seats 34, formed in the longitudinal edges of the side bars 1. The purpose of these seats 34 is to permit different adjustments of the rollers 16 with respect to the roller 15. The trunnions 32 and 33 are held linterlocked in the open seats 34 b-y Vshort retaining bars 35, pivotally secured, at one of their ends, to the side bars 1 by a pin 36 and having, at their other ends, hooks 37,

l adapted to be turned into engagement with clamping bolts 38, anchored to the side bars 1. To the outer end of the trunnion 33 is keyed or otherwise secured a hand crank 39,

. provided for rotating the roller 16 in either direction, at will. f

As sho-wn, the two sections comprising each roller 15 and 16 are axially alined and detachably connected, at their adjacent ends, by a screw stud 40, anchored to one of the sections of said roller and having screw threaded engagement with an internally threaded seat 41 formed in the other section thereof. To preventl accidental independent rotation of the sections of each roller, the same are held interlocked, one with the other, by a sliding bolt 42, mounted on one of said sections and'arranged to be moved endwise into alined perforations 43 formed in said sections, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Each section of the rollers 15 and 16 comprises a pair of laterally spaced annular heads 44, connected by a flat tie bar or body member 45 having, at its intermediate portion, a laterally projecting flange 46. A clamping bar 47 is mounted on the body member 45 and one of its longitudinal edges is connected to the adjacent longitudinal edge of said body member by hinges 48.

Integrally formed with the under side of the clamping bar 47, at the free edge portion thereof, is a fabric engaging tooth 49, adapted to be pressed onto the body member 45 for holding the fabric Z. A laterally projecting flange 50 is integrally formed with the outer edge portion of the clamping bar 47. The clamping bar 47, tooth 49, and

flange 50 extend the full distance between the annular heads 44. As best shown in Fig. 5, the intermediate heads 44 are cut away at 51, to permit the edge of the fabric Z to be extended in a straight line from one end of the winding rollers to the other, when the same is secured by the clamping bar 47. For pressing the clamping bars 47 onto the body member 45, short levers 52 are intermediately pivoted, one to each end of the flanges 50. The short ends of these levers 52 engage undercut shoulders 53 formed in the inner faces of the heads 44,"

as bases of resistance, and their other or long ends have interlocking engagement with ratchet bars 54, secured to the flanges 50. Obviously, the levers 52 may be held in different adjustments -by the ratchet bars 54, depending on the amount of pressure placed on the clamping bar 41 and on the thickness of the fabric held between the body member 45 and the teeth 49. In case very long roller sections are used, U-shaped clamps 55 ar-e provided, to prevent lateral springing of the intermediate portions of the clamping bars 47. -One of the prongs of each clamp 55 is pivotally secured at 56 to the clamping bar 47 and the other prong thereof has interlocking engagement with an eccentric 57, pivotally secured to the flange 50. In actual practice, this eccentric will be provided with an operating lever, not shown. The eccentric 57 is arranged to draw the clamping bar 47 toward the body member 45.vv

To the outer edge portion of each flange 46 are secured two rows of' oppositely projecting fabric securing pins 58. The intermediate heads 44 are also cut away at 59 for the same reason that they are cut away at 51. Rigidly secured to the trunnions 21 and 33, respectively, is a pair of ratchet wheels 61 and 62. A spring pressed pawl 63 is pivotally secured to the flange 19 of the bearing box 18, for coperation with the ratchet wheel 61 to prevent unwinding of the roller 15, and pairs of spring pressed pawls 64 are pivotally secured to the inner faces of the soY i the teeth 58 are used for securing the fabric Z, sliding bolts 65 are mounted on said rollers. The bolt 65 for the roller 15 is adapted to be moved endwise into the perforation 66 formed in the bearing box 18, and the sliding bolt 65 on the roller 16 is adapted to be moved into either one of two perforations, not shown, formed in the adjacent side bar 1.

For increasing the length of the rollers 15 and 16, one or more roller sections will be provided like those shown in the drawing with the exception that each thereof would be provided, at one end, with a screw threaded stud and, at the other end, with an internally threaded seat like those shown in the drawings and indicated, respectively, by the numerals 40 and 41. These supplemental sections would, of course, be inserted between the roller sections shown in the drawings. When these supplemental sections are used, the width of the frame would have to be correspondingly increased by adding supplemental end bars.

In the drawings, the fabric Z is shown secured, at one edge, by the clamping bar 47 of the roller 16 and, at its opposite edge, it is secured to the roller 15 by one of the sets of pins 58. It is evident that the fabric may be secured to both rollers 15 and 16 by their clamping bars 47 or by their pins 58.

By reference to Fig. 4, it is important to note that the outer longitudinal edges of the body member 45 and flanges 46 and 50 terminate in the same planes with the peripheries of the heads 44, and form, together with the peripheries of the heads 44, the peripheries of the winding rollers on which the fabric Z may be wound. It is also important to note that the fabric securing pins 58 terminate short of the peripheries of the winding rollers, thus preventing the fabric wound thereon from catching on said pins. By providing two sets of pins 58, at least two curtains may be secured to the frame at once.

lVhen the improved device is used as a quilting frame, one end of the quilt will be secured to the roller 16 and the opposite edge thereof will be secured to the winding roller 15 and, as the quilt is completed, the same will be wound on the roller 15. It is evident that the clamping bolt 28 must be loosened while the quilt is being wound on the roller 15, in order to permit the bearing boxes 17 and 18 to slide on the side bars 1.

It is thought that the improved device will be found highly eicient for holding rugs while the same are being beaten.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a winding roller journaled on said frame and comprising a pair of laterally spaced heads and a body portion connecting said heads, said body portion having a laterally projecting flange equipped with fabric securing barbs, and a clamping bar coperating with said body portion for securing a fabric therep between, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a winding roller journaled on said frame and comprising a pair of laterally spaced heads and a body portion connecting said heads, a clamping bar coperating with said body portion for securing a fabric therebetween, and pawl and ratchet devices connecting said clamping bar to the heads of said roller, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a winding roller journaled on said frame and comprising a pair of laterally spaced heads and a body portion connecting said heads, a clamping bar coperating with said body portion for securing a fabric therebetween, pawl and ratchet devices connecting said clamping bar to the heads of said roller, and a presser device applied to the intermediate portion of said clamp, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a supporting frame, of a sectional winding roller journaled on said frame, each section of said roller comprising a pair of laterally spaced heads and a body portion connecting said heads, each body ortion having a laterally projecting flange, fabric securing barbs on said flange, the intermediate heads of said roller being cut away, adjacent to said barbs, to afford fabric entrance passages, and a clamping bar coperating with each of said body portions for securing a fabric therebetween, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS FRIDLUND.

Witnesses N. S. SwENsoN, O. T. KNUTsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents, Washington, D. C. 

